Andy Ball

DRUMMER and MUSICIAN

About

An accomplished jazz drummer, Andy is quickly emerging as a sought after performer across the UK music scene. He already displays a wealth of experience from performing alongside many of Britain’s most influential young generation of jazz musicians such as Alex Garnett, Brandon Allen, Tom Cawley and Martin Hathaway. In addition to this Andy demonstrates his versatility in performing with Loz Speyer’s Afro-Cuban/modern jazz group ‘Time Zone’ and Pete Churchill’s gospel choir the ‘London Vocal Project’. Most recently, Andy has performing with the Frank Griffith Nonet and Big Band and has been recording and touring with vocalist Emma Smith.

Born into a musical family, Andy began to play the drums at the age of six, and in pursuing his passion for jazz music went on to study at Leeds College of Music. After graduating he moved to London and studied for a Masters at the Royal Academy of Music. Here he had the enviable opportunity to perform with many of Britain’s most prominent jazz musicians including Gerard Presencer, Stan Sulzman, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, and Tim Garland. He also studied with British drumming legend Martin France (Loose Tubes, David Gilmour, Lee Konitz, Dave Holland), and with several masters from across the Atlantic such as Jeff Ballard, Ari Hoenig and John Hollenbeck.

Upon completing his MMus Andy received the Benjamin Doniger Jazz Scholarship and was chosen to represent the Royal Academy of Music at the 19th International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland, hosted by saxophone great Dave Liebman. Other awards include being finalist and Special Award Winner at the 2008 Kodolanyi Jazz Competition in Hungary with the Tim Evans Quartet.